Matthew Fox has been passionate about deep conversations about genre media since childhood, when watching the original Star Trek series with their mother often led to discussions about the ethical questions it raised.
Beyond podcasting, Matthew helps run a small nonprofit dedicated to breaking down barriers to computer science education for youth and also provides consulting services for nonprofits and small businesses.
Over time, their podcasting interests have expanded, launching a Star Wars-focused podcast in 2019 and frequently appearing as a guest or co-host on PandaVision and other shows. While ethical questions are not always the primary focus of their work, Matthew has a knack for finding them in nearly everything they watch.
They are the host and founder of both Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics on TruStory FM.
In this episode, Jacob and Matthew use Kingdom Come, a fantastic 1996 run of Superman comic books, as a jumping-off point to dive into these questions and more. This episode explores issues surrounding justice, power, law enforcement, and accountability, both in the superhero world and our own. While the books are amazing—and findable online—you don’t need to have read them to engage with and appreciate this conversation.
What is the responsibility of a filmmaker to stay true to a book? What are the issues with the ‘girl as prize’ romance plotlines? And is it possible that Jacob and Matthew actually enjoyed the movie adaptation of a book they have been so critical of?
In the second installment of our conversation with author and Star Wars geek extraordinaire Becky Allen, we delve deeper into the nuances of The Last Jedi. We explore Rey’s journey, tackle Luke’s contentious relationship with the Jedi ethos, and address some of the critiques leveled against the film.
What is the narrative power of failure, and how is it used in The Last Jedi? What did we learn from Admiral Holdo and Poe about power, trusting leaders, and the role of gender in that? Author and Star Wars geek extraordinaire, Becky Allen, joins us again to discuss these questions and more.
Should life always come before death? Should we favor the journey over the destination? And can there be an episode of Superhero Ethics without Matthew? In this episode, Jacob is joined by special guest Rob McKenzie for a discussion of The Way of Kings, book 1 in the Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson.
What makes Netflix’s The Punisher so compelling, and so troubling, at the same time? Can you tell a story about the evils of guns and violence, while simultaneously glorifying gun violence? And can anyone explain the concept of collateral damage to Karen?
A hero is supposed to be devoted—to their country, to their cause, to their friends—whatever it may be, heroes are often defined by the thing they are willing to go to any extreme to protect and defend.
But what happens when that devotion goes too far? In this episode, Jacob and Matthew discuss the costs of devotion, looking at ways a cause can blind a person to the damage it is doing, to themselves or to others.
What happens when social media and public opinion rule the world? How does an all-male species react to the birth of a female child? And can Seth MacFarlane leave behind the problematic elements of much of his earlier writing?
Jacob and Matthew take a look back at 2017, talking about our favorite characters and ethical questions from the year, and where we think we dropped the ball. We also look ahead to 2018, talking about what we are most excited about and what we are most concerned about, in terms of movies and TV coming to us in the next year.
Thor: Ragnarok is pretty and fun, but there’s nothing here that we can dive into for an episode, right? Challenge accepted!
This week we explore a number of themes from and about Thor. We talk about Odin’s revisionist history and the evolving relationship between Thor and Loki. We also discuss the value of movies that don’t hit us with deep ethical questions and how that balances with our love of heavier fare.